1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to allocating communication traffic through a network of interconnected nodes.
2. Related Art
In data communications and telecommunications environments, greater demands are being made for dedicated data links. Communication paths may be established between remote sites by a dedicated physical communications channel although, in the majority of circumstances, the provision of such a channel would be prohibitively expensive.
Dedicated communication channels are also provided by effectively sharing resources within a networked environment. A service provider will establish a network of this type and, for each customer, the provider will guarantee a communication path of a specified bandwidth through the network. As new customers subscribe to the service, the number of paths required through the network will increase and further demands may be placed on the network as customer traffic demands also increase. It is therefore to the advantage of the network provider to configure a network which will satisfy all customer demands while at the same time optimise the allocation of hardware within the network itself.
Systems are known in which route selection is made on the basis of notional costs incurred for implementing a particular route from a plurality of possible routes. Costing of this type tends to be made on the basis that it is undesirable for a particular route portion to become saturated, particularly if other regions within the network are being under-utilized. It is therefore known to increase the notional costs of using a particular route (possibly increasing a notional parameter relating to the portion length) as the amount of traffic using the particular portion increases.
However, such an approach assumes that the cost of using a particular route will only increase as traffic usage increases. Thus, an analysis of this type tends to suggest that the most efficient route is one in which no actual traffic is being conveyed at all. This is clearly inconsistent with the practical reality, therefore it can be appreciated that existing models for modifying notional route costs are somewhat flawed.